


Hide and Seek

by lizzyleefree



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Parenthood, Soft Din Djarin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29237823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzyleefree/pseuds/lizzyleefree
Summary: To The Child it's a game, and to Din it's exhausting. Din tries to dispel mounting worry as he searches for his charge on the ship.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37
Collections: The Mandolorian





	Hide and Seek

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoonyLupin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/gifts).



Din clenched and unclenched his gloved hands, “Kid!”

No. That sounded too harsh. He learned that The Child would only come out if he felt like Din was playing the game. Clearing his throat, he said in a lighter, more airy tone, “Hey kid, come on out now. You won.”

Nothing. Din cursed Peli under his breath for teaching his charge the game she called “Hide and Seek.” She swore she didn’t, with a crooked grin, but The Child sure had been playing it a lot since the last time Peli watched him.

“Come on, we don’t have all day! Let’s play a different game,” he huffed, “Look, I’ll let you have that ball thing you like so much. Maybe even take you to get a real toy in our next town? I’m sorry we didn’t get you one in the last place, like I said. We just- uh- had to make a quick getaway.”

Just like they had to do in the town before that.

“You want an extra snack?”

Still more silence. Din couldn’t believe he was negotiating with a middle-aged toddler.

“I got some pickled eggs that I was saving as a treat after dinner. Your favorite. You can have one early if you come out.”

He waited, sure that the gluttonous creature would stumble around the corner, reaching his three-fingered hands up for the promised bribe. 

Din placed his hand on his chest, marveling to feel his heart hammering beneath his armor. Why was he reacting this way? Why could he remain cool when dozens chased him for his life and not now?

They just boarded the ship a few hours ago, and Din told himself repeatedly that he knew The Child was strapped to his hip during their departure. However, what if The Child had seen some shiny or delicious thing and slipped away in the last second, with Din too distracted with all the chaos of the getaway to notice the absence of the small weight?

He was almost certain he’d placed his hand on The Child’s head and seen him toddle off some time after they boarded the ship, but almost wasn’t enough. Perhaps The Child was on the ship, but got into something that he wasn’t supposed to and got hurt.

“Kid, come on this isn’t funny. You want eggs or not?” He circled to the front of the ship for the dozenth time, “Eggs? I guess I’ll eat all the eggs myself if you don’t come out!”

Could he really blame The Child if he ran away? It’s not like Din was any fun to be around. Why would The Child like someone so stoic and expressionless? Someone who didn’t even get real toys for him?

It’s not like Din had toys when he was a kid, but he bet his charge had them when he was with the Jedis. He probably also had a warm, safe place to sleep each night, and people who understood what he needed better when he garbled his little sounds. Would he ever be reunited with them now? Had Din broken his promise to protect him?

“Kid,” and he was surprised to hear his voice weak and cracking, “please come out. You’re scaring me.”

It was only then that he heard the voice, muffled and faint.

He ran to the ship’s airway and waited, whirling around when he heard the sound again.

It was coming from the supply chest that held their rations. Din hadn’t even checked there because he figured there was no way The Child could get in past the lock, but he must have slipped in during the 30 seconds Din opened it after they were on board the ship.

The chest held 2 weeks’ worth of backup rations- or at least it did. Din groaned as he fidgeted with the lock, his fear replaced with frustration.

He opened the chest to the decimated scene, The Child at the center of it peering up at him in feigned innocence despite the flecks of pickled egg on his mouth.

Din pressed his fist to the center of his helmet, trying to make the beskar relieve some of the pressure building between his eyes.

“Are you kidding me?” He snapped, “Why can’t you just listen for once? We don’t have time for your little games! There are people after you- bad people. Why can’t you understand that? You’re going to-“

Din stopped his tirade when he realized he was shouting, and The Child’s ears were turned downward. Fat tears misted the edges of his orb-like eyes. Din’s memory flashed back to his own childhood, hiding and scared, until he was found by people that he trusted because he had no other choice. Under his armor, The Mandalorian softened.

“Hey, come on, don’t do that! It’s alright.” He swooped The Child up into his arms and hugged him close to his chest. “I’m not really angry with you. Just please don’t scare me like that.”

The Child reached and clutched at the hem of Din’s cape along his shoulder, so that he could pull himself up to look at his face. He was calmer, but a frown still contorted his wrinkled features.

Not for the first time, Din imagined removing his helmet in front of The Child so that he could reassure him with a smile and wipe the tears that were welling in both of their eyes. He immediately berated himself for his lack of faith- at even playing with the idea of betraying his creed.

Instead, he hugged The Child closer, letting out a long-held breath and hoping the kid could feel some warmth behind the metal.

**Author's Note:**

> Why yes, I did wake up at 2am in a feverish sweat to write this. I must have dreamed this little drabble up, because it just wouldn't leave me in peace until I wrote it down. A lot of my own emotions as an adoptive parent came up with this, complete with cycling feelings of self doubt and mood swings! Dedicated to loonylupin, who has been trying to convince me to write a Mando fic for months now.


End file.
